Kooks header install, have questions
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,294
Likes: 18
From: Chicago Illinois
St. Jude Donor '12
Kooks header install, have questions
There seem to be a lot of header threads so I thought I would start my own. I have Kooks 1 7/8 headers ready for install on my 2010 ls3 narrow body vette. I will have a local shop do the install including hinson motor mounts. My questions:
It appears that Kooks' extra bung for a wideband is on the x pipe on the passenger side. Am I right? I had a bung welded to my factory exhaust on the drivers side upstream of the catalytic converter. My understanding is that the wideband o2 sensor for air fuel ratio should be on the drivers side because that is the leaner side, and in any event, upstream of the cats. If the Kooks bung is on the passenger side, is that what you guys are using for wideband o2 sensor? Should I have the installer weld a bung on the drivers side?
Should the installer cap the rear sensor bungs and not install the rear factory o2 sensors? With or without the rear o2 factory sensors I'll likely get a code without a tune.
Finally, I am not rushing to have the vette tuned (FI is hopefully coming in 2015). Is this a mistake? Am I asking for trouble? My understanding is that without a tune the car will run rich and I won't be extracting all of the potential from the headers.
It appears that Kooks' extra bung for a wideband is on the x pipe on the passenger side. Am I right? I had a bung welded to my factory exhaust on the drivers side upstream of the catalytic converter. My understanding is that the wideband o2 sensor for air fuel ratio should be on the drivers side because that is the leaner side, and in any event, upstream of the cats. If the Kooks bung is on the passenger side, is that what you guys are using for wideband o2 sensor? Should I have the installer weld a bung on the drivers side?
Should the installer cap the rear sensor bungs and not install the rear factory o2 sensors? With or without the rear o2 factory sensors I'll likely get a code without a tune.
Finally, I am not rushing to have the vette tuned (FI is hopefully coming in 2015). Is this a mistake? Am I asking for trouble? My understanding is that without a tune the car will run rich and I won't be extracting all of the potential from the headers.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 836
Likes: 43
From: Killeen Texas
There seem to be a lot of header threads so I thought I would start my own. I have Kooks 1 7/8 headers ready for install on my 2010 ls3 narrow body vette. I will have a local shop do the install including hinson motor mounts. My questions:
It appears that Kooks' extra bung for a wideband is on the x pipe on the passenger side. Am I right? I had a bung welded to my factory exhaust on the drivers side upstream of the catalytic converter. My understanding is that the wideband o2 sensor for air fuel ratio should be on the drivers side because that is the leaner side, and in any event, upstream of the cats. If the Kooks bung is on the passenger side, is that what you guys are using for wideband o2 sensor? Should I have the installer weld a bung on the drivers side?
Should the installer cap the rear sensor bungs and not install the rear factory o2 sensors? With or without the rear o2 factory sensors I'll likely get a code without a tune.
Finally, I am not rushing to have the vette tuned (FI is hopefully coming in 2015). Is this a mistake? Am I asking for trouble? My understanding is that without a tune the car will run rich and I won't be extracting all of the potential from the headers.
It appears that Kooks' extra bung for a wideband is on the x pipe on the passenger side. Am I right? I had a bung welded to my factory exhaust on the drivers side upstream of the catalytic converter. My understanding is that the wideband o2 sensor for air fuel ratio should be on the drivers side because that is the leaner side, and in any event, upstream of the cats. If the Kooks bung is on the passenger side, is that what you guys are using for wideband o2 sensor? Should I have the installer weld a bung on the drivers side?
Should the installer cap the rear sensor bungs and not install the rear factory o2 sensors? With or without the rear o2 factory sensors I'll likely get a code without a tune.
Finally, I am not rushing to have the vette tuned (FI is hopefully coming in 2015). Is this a mistake? Am I asking for trouble? My understanding is that without a tune the car will run rich and I won't be extracting all of the potential from the headers.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 836
Likes: 43
From: Killeen Texas
Both headers have the 'bungs' for O2 sensors right at the merge collecter for both driver side & passenger side. The installer bolted them closed somewhere between the beginning & the end of installation & tuning. The supplied O2 extenders that came w/the headers were never used.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 458
Likes: 4
Thank you for choosing Kooks Headers. The O2 Bungs have always been welded on the passenger side. We have never seen an major difference with wide band tuning varying from side to side.
As for keeping the rear O2 sensors turned on, if you are running our 49 state legal GREEN cats these can be left on. With the standard race cats these will need to be adjusted or turned off in the tune.
Good luck and please let me know if you have any other questions.
Keep Kookin' with Kooks!
As for keeping the rear O2 sensors turned on, if you are running our 49 state legal GREEN cats these can be left on. With the standard race cats these will need to be adjusted or turned off in the tune.
Good luck and please let me know if you have any other questions.
Keep Kookin' with Kooks!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,294
Likes: 18
From: Chicago Illinois
St. Jude Donor '12
I just had the Kooks 1 7/8 headers installed and will answer some of my own questions.
Big disappointment, the Kooks' extra bung for a wide band o2 sensor is on the passenger side. It should be on the driver's side because the number 7 cylinder is known to run lean. Kooks should change the bung placement. As a remedy, I had an extra welded in on the driver's side.
My computer was not tuned, the CEL is less annoying than I thought it would be. Running the headers now without a tune. If anything, the car will run rich until the computer is tuned.
The rear factory narrowband o2 sensor was not installed and the bung was capped off. Anyone doing the install should think about buying two stainless steel plugs in advance.
Big disappointment, the Kooks' extra bung for a wide band o2 sensor is on the passenger side. It should be on the driver's side because the number 7 cylinder is known to run lean. Kooks should change the bung placement. As a remedy, I had an extra welded in on the driver's side.
My computer was not tuned, the CEL is less annoying than I thought it would be. Running the headers now without a tune. If anything, the car will run rich until the computer is tuned.
The rear factory narrowband o2 sensor was not installed and the bung was capped off. Anyone doing the install should think about buying two stainless steel plugs in advance.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 3,807
Likes: 508
From: Oshawa, Ontario
monitor both sides
I just had the Kooks 1 7/8 headers installed and will answer some of my own questions.
Big disappointment, the Kooks' extra bung for a wide band o2 sensor is on the passenger side. It should be on the driver's side because the number 7 cylinder is known to run lean. Kooks should change the bung placement. As a remedy, I had an extra welded in on the driver's side.
My computer was not tuned, the CEL is less annoying than I thought it would be. Running the headers now without a tune. If anything, the car will run rich until the computer is tuned.
The rear factory narrowband o2 sensor was not installed and the bung was capped off. Anyone doing the install should think about buying two stainless steel plugs in advance.
Big disappointment, the Kooks' extra bung for a wide band o2 sensor is on the passenger side. It should be on the driver's side because the number 7 cylinder is known to run lean. Kooks should change the bung placement. As a remedy, I had an extra welded in on the driver's side.
My computer was not tuned, the CEL is less annoying than I thought it would be. Running the headers now without a tune. If anything, the car will run rich until the computer is tuned.
The rear factory narrowband o2 sensor was not installed and the bung was capped off. Anyone doing the install should think about buying two stainless steel plugs in advance.
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
Yes you are correct, you car will run rich without the tune. It doesn't know how much oxygen is flowing, your car can mis Fire and also fry the 02s. If you drive it without a tune I would suggest never going more than half throttle.
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Pro
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 642
Likes: 48
From: New Jersey
Thank you for choosing Kooks Headers. The O2 Bungs have always been welded on the passenger side. We have never seen an major difference with wide band tuning varying from side to side.
As for keeping the rear O2 sensors turned on, if you are running our 49 state legal GREEN cats these can be left on. With the standard race cats these will need to be adjusted or turned off in the tune.
Good luck and please let me know if you have any other questions.
Keep Kookin' with Kooks!
As for keeping the rear O2 sensors turned on, if you are running our 49 state legal GREEN cats these can be left on. With the standard race cats these will need to be adjusted or turned off in the tune.
Good luck and please let me know if you have any other questions.
Keep Kookin' with Kooks!